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Daddy Baby Blues?

Understanding How Postpartum Depression Affects New Dads

By Gina Roberts-Grey

The whirlwind of activity and energy generated when a new baby comes home often masks the signs that a father may have PPD. Trying to make sure a new mother is comfortable and recovering from childbirth, or that a new baby is settling into a manageable routine, automatically consumes most households. "With all the attention that was focused on my wife and new baby, we all overlooked my mental health," says George Schmidt, a father of two children from New York, N.Y., who experienced PPD.

Postpartum depression in men is also commonly not recognized because men self-impose super-human expectations for fatherhood and for being a husband. Schmidt is one of many fathers who typically return to a version of their prenatal lifestyle by going back to work in the first days or weeks of having a child and continuing with their role as provider. "Worrying about how we'll be perceived as a man makes new fathers want to project that we're easily adjusting to our new lifestyle," says Schmidt.

While neglecting to consider a new father's emotional state may not be intentional, the reality is this occurs more often than not. "It is easy to miss early signs of paternal postpartum depression because a man's natural tendency is to ignore or dismiss the thought that he needs any type of emotional help or support," says Paula Ashenbach, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Shawnee Mission, Kan. A father who may be struggling to connect with his child, feels disconnected from his wife or life or feels he is not worthy of fatherhood may search for plausible justification for his feelings or fight to entirely suppress them out of embarrassment, fear or frustration.

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Want to see more?

• Postpartum Depression: When having a baby gives you more than the blues
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• Talk about it!

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